Coron Island is best known for its many Japanese shipwrecks. Take a break from wreck diving when you visit this picturesque little island though, and enjoy diving in one of the most beautiful caves you may ever see.
Cathedral Cave is located beneath Palawan’s Coron Island and is accessed via a tunnel located in a wall along the sheer side of the island. After descending to a depth of just six meters, you’ll find the tunnel entrance, which gapes from the rocks like a dark, forbidding mouth. As you enter, shine your light around, looking for the little lobsters and cowries that inhabit the rocks that surround you.
Following a short descent to a depth of 12 meters, you’ll find yourself inside the cave’s main chamber, where the roof that once enclosed the cavern entirely has collapsed. Evidence of the collapse includes a sandy mound in the middle of the cave, which is decorated with the skeletal remains of a huge tree. The hole in the ceiling lets in a shaft of brilliant light, which illuminates the caves walls only slightly, and which provides a shadowy view of the stalactites that hang from the cavern’s ceiling.
With everything in shades of blue, from the deep dark blue of the cave’s floor, to the lighter blue of the water at the surface, this dive site provides an incredible opportunity for photographers, and as the view changes depending upon what time of day you visit, it is possible to get several completely different sets of photos if you come back at varying times. A favorite shot involves getting your buddy to swim up into the light column, and positioning yourself below for a classic shot that might even be worthy of publication.
Once you’re finished taking in the main chamber, where you will find quite a few fish, including groupers, a few big eyes, and some others, along with more lobsters, lots of crabs, and maybe even a moray eel, you’ll take another passage that leads to the left, into a second chamber that is completely dark. This chamber has a huge air pocket inside too, and if you turn out your lights, you’ll see a glow emanating from the entryway that will take you back into the first chamber.
After finishing with your exploration of the cave, you’ll find yourself back outside, along the sunlit wall, where coral and sponges host countless fish, nudibranchs, crustaceans, and other creatures. Look for angelfish and Moorish idols, spindly-legged spider crabs and smaller hermit crabs, puffer fish, brilliant blue tangs, and lots of yellow butterfly fish.
At its best from November through May, this dive site is only accessible in very calm weather. It is impossible to enter the tunnel when there are large waves pounding the coastline, and even moderate waves generate too much surge to make the dive safe. Despite its position right along the shoreline, this site can only be accessed from boat, since Coron Island’s profile is steep and there is no nearby beach access. Check availability with local dive operators ahead of your trip, since this site is one most people who visit definitely want to see.